By Philip Newman
The subway station that finally extended Manhattan’s far west side to No. 7 riders opened six months ago but already has a water leak problem, one that some Metropolitan Transportation Authority higher-ups knew about but disclosed to the board only Monday.
Michael Horodniceanu, president of MTA Capital Construction, was besieged by questions from MTA board members about the leak, which was first reported by the New York Post.
Horodniceanu said he and some transit officials had been aware of the leaks since the summer of 2012 when they ordered the involved construction firm, Yonkers Construction, to fix the problem. It appears to be a recurring problem, he said, adding that he assumed it was repaired and that the leaks had been stopped. He said the leaks would be repaired but could reoccur. Nevertheless, he said the Hudson Yards station was not in danger.
“We need to know more than what we are reading in the papers,” said city Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, who is an MTA board member.
Kevin Ortiz, an MTA spokesman, called the leaks “simply unacceptable”
“That is why we are holding the contractor accountable and they are taking all necessary measures to permanently correct the issue.”
Several MTA Board members expressed chagrin.
“We spent $2 billion on this thing and there is a significant blemish on this agency,” said board member Allen Cappeli.
The 1.5-mile extension from Times Square to 11th Avenue and 34th Street is now the final stop from the No. 7 line’s starting point in Flushing.
The new station, the 469th in the subway system, was built at a cost of $2.4 billion, paid for by the City of New York.
The Hudson Yards station opened Sept. 13, 2015 after eight years of construction and it opened up Manhattan’s Far West Side, including the Jacob Javits Convention Center, the High Line and the Hudson River Park.
But so far ridership on the extension has been light awaiting development of the area.
